Chessmaster
by TheSaintsFollower
Summary: Once upon a time, Midoriya Izuku loved heroes. But he soon realized that all that gliters is not gold. Follow him as he becomes something other than the useless Deku that everybody said he was, something greater than even All Might. A true hero.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, this is my first MHA fic. A couple of things before I begin. **

**I do take requests for one-shots. Which I may expand on more if I feel inspired. However, should I will not accept requests for Bakugou/Uraraka. I personally don't like that pairing. I also don't see any canon evidence to it.**

**I also – most likely – won't be referencing the movie, as I have not seen it yet. If I see it before I reach a certain point with this story, then I will reference it and may use the characters, but if not...**

**I'll respond to some comments and questions in the notes before the chapters start. If you want to ask something of me or have other questions, please ask away. If you have constructive criticism to give, also please give it. **

**I own nothing except for the computer that I write with.**

**Thank you and without further ado, let us begin.**

**Chapter 1: Izuku Midoriya – Origin**

* * *

To say that Midoriya Izuku was having a bad day was an understatement. His days at school were never pleasant – due to the bias against quirkless people like himself and his childhood friend turned bully Bakugo Katsuki – it had been worse than normal due to Bakugo blowing up and throwing his _Hero Analysis For The Future Vol. 13 _notebook into a small pond. While lamenting this, Izuku had been attacked and almost killed by a villain made of slime, who had wanted to possess his body.

However, Izuku had been saved by a hero. And not just any hero. He had been saved by the No. 1 Hero, and his own personal favorite and inspiration, All Might. He had even managed to get the Hero's autograph in his notebook. And what had been a terrible day for Izuku had become a dream come true.

Until it all came crashing down around him.

All Might has collected the pieces of the Sludge Villain and moved to leap away. But Izuku needed to know something. He needed to know that the worlds greatest hero – his hero – believed in his dream. If All Might believed in it, then Izuku didn't care what others thought. All he needed was All Might's approval.

So that's what he sought. In a moment of desperation Izuku had grabbed onto All Mights leg and held on as the man rocketed into the sky. The hero had landed on a rooftop when he noticed Izuku clinging onto his leg, and it was there that the hero's biggest secret was released: He was crippled, and slowly but surely, the hero that was All Might was beginning to die.

It was also there that the final nail in the coffin that was Midoriya Izuku's dream was hammered into place.

"_You can't be a hero. Not without a quirk."_

Just like that Izuku felt himself crack. All of the hurtful comments from the past came to the forefront of his mind, playing over and over again. They played as he walked back to his apartment, taking in none of the sights nor caring about anyone around him. This led him to the scene of another villain battle – one that he recognized.

The Sludge Villain had broken free, most likely when Izuku grabbed onto All Might's pants. If that wasn't the worst part, the villain had taken Bakugo hostage, and was manipulating the boy's explosion quirk to cause massive collateral damage and prevent the nearby heroes from assisting.

The next events were a blur, even now. Izuku had charged forward, feeling the need to go help his former friend, which overpowered any and all rational thoughts he could have had. And, miraculously, he had managed to stun the villain and free Bakugo. But the two were still in danger and the villain not yet defeated.

Until All Might reappeared. In a single punch and a yell of SMASH, the Sludge Villain was blown all across the alley, with the shockwave caused by the punch broke and dissipated the smoke clouds cause by Bakugo's explosions.

Midoriya and Bakugo had been collected by the police and other pros while All Might smiled and spoke to the reporters and fans that were present. The two boys were placed side by side while being examined by paramedics. Two of the heroes at the scene – Kamui Woods and Death Arms – began to speak.

They complemented Bakugo for his powerful quirk and continued to spout out about how great a hero he could become with its power. But when it came to Izuku all they had to say were words of anger, all the while scolding him for risking his life, getting in the way of real heroes and how he could have made the situation worse.

'_I got in the way of real heroes? How? The one's there did nothing? I get that not all heroes have quirks that are compatible with fighting different types of villains, but they should have done something! Hell, all I needed to free Kacchan was my backpack and some quick thinking. No super strength, no wood powers, no explosions...no quirk. I saved him without a quirk...I was the real hero in that situation, not them.'_

So lost in thought and anger that Izuku didn't notice his old friend approaching him until Bakugo got his attention the usual way: a small explosion and a yell of "DEKU!"

Turning, Izuku repressed the anger that was threatening to come out. If he exploded now, Kacchan would just beat him up, and honestly, he didn't need any more scratches or burn marks today.

"I didn't need your fucking help!" Bakugo continued to shout at him. "I could've gotten out of there just fine Deku! Next time just do everyone a favor and FUCK OFF and let the real heroes deal with it, you quirkless bastard!"

With his piece said, Bakugo began to storm away. Turning back around, Izuku began to trudge back to his house, all the while the anger he had felt his whole life began to resurface. Anger at his quirklessness, anger at the lack of support he received from anyone about his dream, anger...

Anger at himself. For being so weak as to not stand up for himself.

Izuku was shaken out of his mental self-loathing when a blur of white, yellow, and khaki zoomed in front of him. Stumbling back onto his butt, Izuku looked up and saw the smiling, beefed up figure that was All Might.

"HAHAHA! I have found you, young Midoriya -"

All Might was cut off by a rush of blood exploding from his mouth, causing his body to deflate into the skinny appearance that he had shown Izuku earlier that day.

Normally Izuku would be ecstatic at the sight of his hero or freaking out due to the amount of blood that was spewing from All Might's mouth. But the No. 1 Hero, the Symbol of Peace...Izuku's hero, had shown that he was no better than anyone else in Izuku's life. He had sat there and watched him get chewed out by the other heroes, the ones who failed to do their job, while All Might played with the press. Izuku knew then and there that All Might was no different than Kacchan, his teachers, and all the other people who had ever derived him...they all judged him by his quirklessness. They assumed that he was a nobody, someone who was never going to amount to anything in the world.

Well, he had had enough.

"Sorry about tha-"

"Shut up!"

Both the Pro Hero and the school boy stood in silence – one taken aback by the ferocity and anger in the other's voice, the other looking at the ground, his fist clenched, his small form shaking.

"You're probably here to reprimand me for running out there without a quirk. Or for getting in the way of the other heroes." Izuku spat out the word hero like he hated it. "Or maybe you're here to remind me, again, that I can't become a hero?"

"Young Mid-"

"Well you don't have to worry!" Izuku snarled cutting off All Might. "I don't plan on becoming one! Not anymore! What I saw today...that wasn't heroism. Those heroes – Kamui Woods, Death Arms, Mt. Lady – none of them did a damn thing to help the situation! All they did was watch as Ka...as Bakugo almost died! And then I show up and get him out! And what happens? I get scolded! For what? For doing their job! For not having a quirk!"

"And what's worse!" All Might recoiled slightly as Midoriya's head shot up, his large green eyes filled with tears and anger that the hero hadn't seen in an individual since _him_. "The hero I looked up to the most just stood there and justified it! You justified the scolding of a simple act of heroism – of true heroism – and that..."

Izuku's body lost all the tension he held as he hung his head, masking the tears that fell from his eyes, though nothing could mask the way his voice choked up. "And that's it then. I'm done. I'm done wanting to be a hero, I'm done liking them...and I'm done believing in them. I'm done believing in you. Goodbye All Might."

With that Izuku stormed past the still frozen hero, who could only stare at the young man whose form was slowly beginning to blur. _'What is?'_ All Might asked himself before he felt a cool splash of liquid trail down his face. _'Oh...'_

* * *

**And that's the first chapter. I will try to update as frequently as I can. But no promises. As a reminder, please review and ask questions if you are confused by something, or the angle that I'm going for. I'll answer either before the chapter, or in the writing itself. So until the next time, this is TheSaintsFollower, signing out. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Howdy do my dudes! Sorry for the late updates, school has been hell. Hope you enjoy this chapter, but before I begin some things:**

**1.) I will never write a Bakugou/Uraraka fic. Nothing against Bakugou or the people who like this ship, but I don't see the logic. Everytime I question it, people say "He showed her respect." Yea, respect. Which is given for any normal human being...which Bakugou kinda isn't. Which leads me too**

**2.) There will be Bakugou bashing, both in this fic and my other MHA one. Personally I like Bakugou. His character is interesting, and a good study on Inferiority Superiority Complexes. But his season one character is a huge asshole, and only changes due to key events, most of which involve Midoriya in UA. As both my fics never have that, his development is stunted. Also, if any of my long-time readers notice a trend, then yea, I'm treating Bakugou much like how I treat Weiss in RWBY Volume One and half of Two. Again, nothing against them, but...yea. **

**Anyways, on with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Izuku stomped up the stairs to his apartment, pulling out his key and opening the door before quickly moving to his bedroom and slamming the door. Throwing his burned and tattered school bag onto the floor, Izuku let out a primal roar grabbed the nearest object - an All-Might themed snow globe - and heaved it. The globe struck the nearby wall - littered with All-Might posters - shattering, flinging glass, liquids, and artificial flakes across his room.

'_Damn it! It's not fair!'_ Izuku thought ran wild as he tore apart another piece of All-Might merchandise - this time an old toy which was now missing a head. _'Why! Why was I singled out! Why am I the one without a Quirk! Why do people like Ka-like Bakugou have Quirks while someone like me doesn't! He doesn't even care about others, he hates people! All he wants is to win! Heroism isn't a fucking competition you explosive bastard! You're job is to save innocent lives, not to go looking for a fight!'_

"ARGGGGH!" Izuku screamed as he continued to destroy his hero merchandise - moving on from the All-Might themed ones to other heroes, as evident by the Kamui Woods pen that was shattered. "It's not even just Bakugou! There are so many heroes who just care about winning or the fame and money that comes with it! Damn it, doesn't anyone have any fucking morals anymore!"

In his rage Izuku hardly realized that his swinging fists had crashed through the drywall of his room. Yanking his hand out, Izuku looked at his now bleeding knuckles before taking a look across his room, taking in the mess. His bed was torn to shreds, the All-Might sheets torn and tattered. His various hero merch was broken, torn up, shattered, and scattered across his small room.

Taking a few deep breaths, Izuku walked out into the divided kitchen and living room, opening a cabinet that housed his family's first aid kit. Wincing as he applied disinfectant and bandages to his bloody hands, Izuku looked around for his mother, who had been conspicuously absent during his tantrum.

Spying a note on the countertop, Izuku picked up and read a small message from his mother. _'Sorry sweaty, I got called into the hospital for the night shift. Lots of incidents today. Won't be back till tomorrow. There's food in the fridge for dinner and breakfast tomorrow. Make sure to get some sleep. Love you, Mom.'_

Izuku sighed, glad that his mother had not been there to hear his anger. "I'll need time to clean my room. Hopefully Mom doesn't hear about the Slime Villain. But knowing her she'll learn about it eventually." He loved his mother, he really did, but sometimes...sometimes he thought it would be better if he just left. She could hardly support both of them, working overtime at her job as a nurse, had almost no friends, and had to deal with him as a son. "Someone who can't amount to anything." Izuku mumbled.

Deciding he needed to clear his thoughts, Izuku grabbed a plain black hoodie and walked out of the house. Walking around Mustafu had become an old habit of his for the past two years, a way for him to just walk and think, get most of his repressed anger worked out without showing his mom. So lost in thought was Izuku that he hadn't realized that he had accidentally wandered into a shadier area of Mustafu - one with a much higher crime rate due to the lower income status of its inhabitants.

Stopping, Izuku looked around for a bus stop or street sign that he recognized and couldn't find any, only seeing dusty street benches, a phonebooth that looked inoperable and some flickering street lights. It had just occurred to Izuku how late at night it was and he mentally began to panic.

'_Oh crap! This is bad, really really bad! I can't see a way out and I...I can call mom!'_ Quickly pulling out his phone, Midoriya's heart plummeted again when he saw the cracked and destroyed screen._ 'How did I not notice this before?'_ He thought in anger. _'It must have gotten damaged when I threw myself at the Slime Villain.'_

Izuku was shaken from his thoughts when he heard the sound of screaming and grunting coming from a nearby alley. Knowing that he shouldn't get involved, but unable to leave well enough alone, Izuku crept towards the entrance of the alley. Peeking into it Izuku saw something horrifying.

A group of men - Izuku could tell by their lower clothing and the rough sounds of their voices - with white hoods covering their faces were holding down two others, constantly beating on one of them. Said victim had the appearance of a lizard - _'A Lizard-type Mutation Quirk' _\- and was struggling in vain against his much larger and stronger captors. The other man was moving his mouth rapidly as though he was trying to talk yet no words came out of his mouth. He too was struggling, and by the look of things, Izuku knew this man would be attacked next.

'_I...I can't just stand here! I may not have a quirk! I may not be able to be a Hero, but there's more to being a hero than having some stupid licsense and a Quirk!'_

With that Izuku took out his phone and held it up, the camera facing the group. 'It may not be able to work, but they don't know that.' Taking a deep, calming breath, Izuku moved out into the open, and took a few steps into the alley. "HEY!"

His cry got the men to stop beating the lizard guy and look over at him. "Oh shit its a kid." One of the men said. "So what. Just ignore him. What can one kid do."

Izuku took another deep breath as the men turned back to continue beating on their victim. "HEY! Yo-you better leave them alone! I called the police and I've been filming this for a while! I've already sent a copy to a friend of mine, so even if you destroy my phone the police can still track you down!"

At that all the white hooded men stopped - the ones holding the two hostages dropped them onto the ground - and looked at each other then Izuku. Izuku could feel the anger and hatred coming from the men, yet he wasn't afraid. _'If this is all the hatred they have, they need to do better. I face shit like this everyday.'_

One man stepped forward - apparently the leader - and spoke. "Hmph. C'mon boys! We don't need the cops comin! We can find these freaks later!"

The group grumbled and cursed but they complied, walking down the opposite side of the alley and out of sight. Izuku waited with baited breath to see if any of them were coming back and when none did he began to walk forward, slipping his phone back into his pocket.

Quickly making his way over to the two on the ground, Izuku reached down and held out his hands. "Hey, c-can I help you?"

The lizard-man looked up at the outstretched hand and grasped it, before Izuku helped to pull the man to his feet. "Thanks kid." Lizard replied, his voice lighter than Izuku expected.

'_He can't be too much older then me, maybe 18 or 19.' _Izuku thought. "It's nothing. What about him?" Izuku said while pointing to the other man, who was rolling around on the ground, clutching his head as if in pain. Upon closer inspection, Izuku realized that the man's face was half covered by some kind of mask.

"IcantIcantIcantIcantIcant" the man repeated over and over again as he rolled. Izuku's eyes widened in thought as he saw the man trying to cover the part of his face that was showing.

'_Maybe a side effect of his quirk? Or a possible mental condition? Either way,'_ Izuku thought as he removed his hoodie and ripped the hood off. _'I have to see if this'll help.' _

Moving towards the man, Izuku began to speak. "E-excuse me sir, but I-I need you to stay still for a second. I-I want to help you."

Izuku watched as the man continued to roll around, before stopping right at Midoriya's feet. Between the man's fingers Izuku could see the man's brown eye twitching frantically, with tears moving down his face. "Hurry...please hurry." The man's voice came out, muffled. "I can't...they want to come out...I can't!"

Izuku quickly kneeled and wrapped the hood around the man's head, covering the uncovered half, holding it tightly as the man's breathing began to steady and his twitching subsided. Eventually, the man tapped Izuku's arm with his hand, signalling a relase.

Izuku stepped away and allowed the man to stand - his injuries were just a few scraps, not the cuts that Lizard had suffered. Breathing deeply, the masked man turned towards Izuku, who could see that the other half of his face was covered by a spandex like mask, similar to ones some heroes wear.

"Thanks kid! You sure did me a favor!" The man spoke energetically, as though the incident had never occurred. Izuku, while weirded out, opened his mouth to respond before being cut off by the man. "But I didn't need your help! GO HOME!"

Both Izuku and Lizard looked at the man, tilting their heads to the side in confusion as the man groaned. "Sorry about that." "NO I'M NOT!"

"It's ok!" Izuku quickly spoke, cutting the rambling man off. "Really not a big deal. I'm sure anybody would have done the same."

"Not true." Lizard spoke as slumped against the wall of the alley. "This society...it doesn't allow help for people like us."

"People like you...What do you mean?"

Lizard sighed at Izuku's question. "Where to begin. For starters those men in the white cloaks...they hate people like me. People with Mutation-Type Quirks are not...treated well by some members of society. You saw it with your own eyes."

"What about -" Izuku started to say but stopped himself. _'What about heroes. Kinda pointless given how none of them helped me.'_

"I think I can relate Mr. Lizard. Nobody really cares about me either." Izuku said, the frustration and sadness evident in his eyes and voice.

"Oh. I can't see that." "YEAH KID! YOU LOOK LIKE YOU GO TO A NICE SCHOOL!"

"I must agree with our masked friend, you probably can't understand, though I thank you for trying to sym-"

"I'm quirkless." Izuku said cutting off Lizard. "I-I'm seen as lower than nothing. If you, with your Quirk are seen as a monster...than I'm worse than a monster to some people. I'm a mistake." The stress of the day finally catching up to him, Izuku allowed the tears that he held to finally fall. There in the dimly lit alley he cried. Even as Lizard put a hand on his left shoulder and masked man put one on his right, he cried.

He cried as a shadow watched from the above rooftop, before it vanished into the night.

* * *

**(Time Skip)**

Izuku, after calming down, walked with Lizard and the masked man - or Shuichi Iguchi and Jin Bubaigawara respectively - towards his apartment building. Izuku, seeing how Iguchi's injuries were still bleeding - and hearing all three of their stomach's growling - offered to bring the two back to his apartment, where he could patch them and give them some food. The two agreed, but didn't plan on staying longer then they had to.

Leading them up the steps, Izuku turned his key and opened the door, gesturing for the two to come in. Both did, and Izuku directed them to the couch while he went to the kitchen.

"Bubaigawara..what do you think of all this?"

"Hmm?"

"Midoriya." Iguchi said, nodding his head in the direction of the kitchen. "He's a good kid who has a shitty lot in life. I want to help him -"

"But by helping him you could just make it worse." Jin said. "I get it. He still doesn't know I've got a record. And you still are wanted for stealing from those stores."

"If we stay here, or in contact with him, he could be hurt or worse. The system doesn't care about quirkless people. It hasn't in years." The masked man said, a hand on his chin.

"You know I can hear you both." Izuku said as he came in, two plates balanced on one arm, the first aid kit in his other hand. Reaching with his arm, Izuku gestured for both men to take their plates, which they did with a quite 'thank you'. "And I don't really care. Not anymore."

Izuku sat the first aid kit down before opening it, pulling out some disinfectant wipes and some large bandages. "You should care Midoriya. Look around at what you have. You have a mother that loves you, a nice home to come back to, friends who -"

"I have a gilded bird cage for a home, a mother who works herself to death for her worthless son, no friends who want to be around the "quirkless freak", and no real future. If anything, I'll probably just end up leaping off a bridge or building in the next year or so."

"Midoriya!"

"What. I've read about the suicide rates for quirkless people. Most don't make it through highschool. And the ones who do just drop off the map. So really, I don't have a future. So it doesn't matter if I help you two. Cause nothing could be worse than this right now."

Both Iguchi and Jin looked at the boy, who was applying bandages to Iguchi's arms - All Might themes bandages. Both noticed that each time the boy looked at those bandages his eyes would darken over and his scowl become more pronounced.

"Midoriya...you shouldn't give up. Maybe someday you can make something for yourself. You have all the right things to do so-"

"I wanted to be a Hero." Izuku said cutting Jin off. "I wanted to be a Hero so bad. Even without a Quirk, I just wanted to help people. But today...today I learned that I can't. No...today reality set in for me. After 10 years of quirklessness reality finally set in...I can't follow my dream."

"But that doesn't mean that your life is over." Iguchi remarked. "You can still become a businessman. A lawyer perhaps. Or even a police officer-"

"All of which can easily be tied into the broken mess that is our society."

The cold statement washed over the two adults as Izuku finished applying bandages. "I-I never really thought about it until today...but this society...it's broken and disgusting. What happened to you two and what you said earlier Iguchi...it set everything into place: Our society, so obsessed with Heros and perfection, is rotten. This world is rotten, and those who are making it rotten...they are the ones who we admire! It's not the villains - criminals have always existed - but the heroes! They put themselves up on pedestals, but when push comes to shove they all reveal themselves to be worse then the villains! Look at Heroes like Captain Celebrity and Endeavor. One is a molester who fled the US and the other care nothing about being a true hero! He never makes people feel safe, never helps people! All one has to do is look at his actions and you can tell that he is no true hero!"

"Midoriya…"

"So you see? I can't continue in this society! This rotten society that hoists up its false heroes! This hell that allows people like us to be screwed over time and time again!"

"Us? Midoriya you don't really know...anything about us! You can't say we've been screwed over!"

"Look at the two of you." Izuku said, gesturing to the pair. "You both clearly don't eat enough, which means you can't afford much food- if any at all. The area Mustufa that I found you has been a slum for years, and nobody does anything about it. Plus, I've talked to you two. I may not know much about the two of you, but I...I truly do believe that you are good people. The two of you have been screwed over by society Iguchi, you even told me that people hate you for something you can't control! JUST LIKE ME! AND NO ONE CARED ENOUGH TO HELP YOU!"

Izuku took several deep breaths before calming down. "I know you two think I'm just a kid whose had a bad day, but I'm not. It hasn't been one bad day that's made me a cynic, but a whole rotten, disgusting life! A life that was allowed by this horrible society that Heroes uphold." Izuku's voice was filled with anger at the world, disgust with society, and something else. Something the two couldn't figure out...but it filled their very beings like fire. It inspired them, it led them to something they hadn't felt in a long time...hope.

Taking a final breath, Izuku looked both men in the eyes. "Iguchi...Jin...I promise you...I promise that someday people like us won't be kept down by society and its idiotic stigmas...Someday, people like us can be free to live our lives without being persecuted...without feeling like nobody will help us or understand us...Guys, I promise that someday...I will...I will."

"**I WILL DESTROY THIS USELESS HERO SOCIETY!"**

* * *

**And end scene. If anyone can name the various shout-outs, please do so in the comments. Plus, if you think you know the figure on the rooftop, also comment. As always, constructive criticism is helpful and wanted. Also, if anyone wishes to aid me with an idea I have concerning this fic, please do let me know. PM me. Thank you.**

**UPDATE: MARCH 3,2020: I NEED A HELPER! SOMEONE WHO CAN EITHER BETA OR WORK WITH ME TO WRITE! PLEASE HELP! MESSAGE IF INTERESTED!**

**TheSaintsFollower, signing out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Damn, it has been awhile. Well I'm back with a new chapter. Also, allow me to answer some of the previous questions/statements/things to clear up.**

**One commenter pointed out the similarity between Lelouch - specifically in his speech at the end of the second chapter - and you hit the nail on the head. I did take some cues from Lelouch's various speeches throughout Code Geass, as well as Light Yagami's speech from episode one of Death Note. That being said, Midoriya is not going to go off the deep end like Light, but he is going to go through...changes. **

**With that, let's begin.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Day the King was Born**

Midoriya saw Iguichi and Jin out, before walking back to his room. Slowly, Midoriya began to clean and repair the damage he had caused in his anger, cleaning up the debris and the broken toys, while attempting to cover the hole in the wall. Knowing there was nothing he could do about the ruined comforter, he folded it up and found a spare in a closet in the hallway, which he spread across his bed.

As the adrenaline faded from his body, Midoriya felt the events of the past several hours begin to weigh on him, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Not bothering to change his clothes, Midoriya slid into bed and allowed sleep to overtake him.

* * *

**(Time Skip)**

Midoriya groaned as sunlight filtered through his window, waking him from his slumber. Rolling out of bed, the greenette walked out of his still messy room into the kitchen, finding a note along with a plate of food.

'_Izuku,'_ the note read _'I know about the villain attack yesterday. We will talk about this when I get home tonight. Please don't do anything dangerous today. Ask Katsuki if he can walk you home from school. I love you, Mom.'_

The anger that he had felt from the previous day returned with a vengeous as he read his mother's letter. "Help from Bakugou! Asking him to walk me home! God, I could ask a villain to walk me home and I'd feel safer!" Taking a calming breath, Midoriya set the note back down and ate his food slowly. "Whatever, it's not like Mom knows that."

Sighing, Midoriya looked at the clock on their oven and saw that it was almost 10:30. 'I'm late.' He thought in an initially panicky way before he calmed down. '_But does it matter. All that'll happen is me being given a detention for being late, then more public humiliation, then more beatings. God, knowing Bakugou, I'll be beaten within an inch of my life.'_

"Not happening." Midoriya muttered, finishing his breakfast and grabbing his hoodie from the previous night. "I'd rather not go then suffer." Opening the door, Midoriya walked out and into the city.

He needed to clear his head.

* * *

**(Scene Change)**

**(POV Change: Bakugou) **

If one where to ask Katsuki Bakugou what he thought of himself, he would reply, without a second thought, that he was "the fucking best thing in the world since hot sauce."

He really liked hot sauce.

But yesterday had shaken him. He had been caught by that stupid slime villain - though he would claim he almost had it - and had to be rescued by All-Might and Deku. The All-Might part was fine - Bakugou knew that he wasn't on the No.1 Hero's level, not yet at least - but having fucking Deku help out? That really burned him up something fierce.

'_That little fucking twit thought he could be the big hero! That I needed his help! HIS HELP!' _Bakugou raged in his mind, all the while small explosions popped out of his hands, deterring everyone around him from approaching.

Their teacher - Bakugou called him Arms-Sensei - began calling role, hearing a chorus of heres.

Until he got to Deku.

"Midoriya?" Arms-Sensei said, looking up and not seeing the quirkless boy. "Ok." He said simply as he made a mark on his sheet. The other students began to chatter about why the resident loser was absent, ideas flying around.

Bakugou didn't care. All he cared about was getting even with Deku for looking down on him. _'Just you wait Deku. Just you fucking wait.'_

* * *

**(Scene Change)**

**(Midoriya POV)**

Midoriya walked throughout the same district of Mustafa that he had last night. Not wanting anyone to recognize him, or wonder what a kid was doing outside of school, Midoriya stuck to alleys. While walking, the young man was lost in his thoughts.

'I know I said I would destroy the hero system...but why did I say that? Was it anger? Sadness? Despair? Have I finally hit rock bottom? I can feel...that I want to destroy it. I know its flawed. But why? Why?'

As Midoriya continued down an alley, he failed to take into account a group of men hanging throughout it. One of them glared at Midoriya before speaking up.

"Hey brat get lost!"

Startled, Midoriya looked around and noticed the men looked rather rough and realized the danger he was in. Swallowing the urge to flee, Midoriya tried to speak.

"He-hey now. I don't want an-any trouble. Just let me go an-"

"I know you."

Midoriya was cut off by the apparent leader of the gang, a man in his thirties with an x-shaped scar on his cheek. "I-I don-"

"Yea, i know you. You were here last night. You're the one who helped those freaks and threatened to call the cops."

Eyes widening in fear, Midoriya looked around and vaguely recognized some of the men from the previous night, the ones who assaulted Jin and Iguichi. _'Oh no, please no.'_

"Sir please I-I really don't want any trouble."

"Well too bad brat. You cost me and my boys the chance to cleanse this world of a couple of freaks. And now, we're gonna take it out on your hide." X-Scar said as he and his friends - 6 in total - circled around the now trembling Midoirya.

Midoriya twisted around, desperately looking for a way out, a weapon, something. He had no phone, no way of contacting anyone, and knew that no hero really patrols down these streets.

"I-I-I"

"Yea yea, we've heard it all before kid. Now hold still," X-Scar said as he grabbed Midoriya's collar and lifted him up "this'll only hurt a lot."

Midoriya closed his eyes, waiting for the punch, only to feel X-Scar drop him and a warm liquid splash across his face. Opening his eyes, Midoriya sat in rigid horror as he and X-Scar both stared at the broken mass of flesh that used to be his right hand. Said hand was dangling from a torn strip of flesh, with the exposed bone showing - cracked and broken - with blood spilling out. On the ground near X-Scar's foot was a short knife with a serrated edge.

"Trying to assault a child. Truly, you are scum worse than any fake hero." The thugs and Midoriya turned towards the source of the deep voice, with the thugs blanching at the figure who stepped from the shadows. He was tall and lanky, dressed in armour and rags, with numerous bladed weapons strapped across his body. The most distinguishing feature about this man was the blood red stripe of cloth that served as a mask, covering his lack of nose and his eyes.

"Boss…" One of the thugs said in a hushed voice, liquid seeping down his pants. "That's him. That's the Hero Killer."

X-Scar and his group took a step back, breaking the circle and allowing Midoriya to scramble to his feet. "Run!" X-Scar cried out, motivating his gang to flee towards the alley's entrance.

"Useless." Stain grumbled before blurring. His form appeared in front of the thugs, his sword drawn and his back towards them. Sheathing his sword, Stain turned towards the paralysed thugs. "There's no point in running. After all," taking a step forward, Stain smiled maliciously as the two thugs in the rear of the group exploded into diced piles of flesh "you are already dead."

X-Scar and his remaining cronies froze as their friend's blood rained down on them. "Boss...what do we do?" One of the thugs whimpered.

X-Scar glowered through tears of pain at the Hero Killer. "Let's kill this bastard! If we do, you know how much cred we'll get! Now get your quirks ready!"

The other three thugs nodded, one taking a deep breath and puffing up, needles shooting out of his body. The second held his hands out, his nails coming out and sharpening, as well as glowing. The third adopted a stance like a boxer, his fist glowing. X-Scar's neck muscles strained as his fist melted and turned into a hammer, his other hand still hanging onto the torn skin and muscle.

"Come fools, and let me decorate this alley with your filthy blood." Stains said as he drew his sword.

The boxer thug moved first, running at Stain, before planting his feet and letting lose a right hook aimed at the Hero Killer's head. Said punch never connected, as Stain's blade flew up and impaled the man's arm at the elbow, the force sending bone chunks flying into the air. The man screamed and fell back, taking Stain's sword with him as another thug charged.

His nails flashed towards Stain, who swayed to the side, grabbing the man's arm and with a mighty wrench, shoved the hand through its owner's chest. The man coughed once before falling limp.

Pufferfish man rolled towards Stain, kicking up gravel. Stain simply threw two of his knives, not bothering to move. Blood rolled down the man's body as the escaped air spurted out like a balloon with a hole. The man slid into an alley wall with a crash, cracking the brick and deflating fully as his blood pulled around him.

X-Scar ran at Stain, roaring in pain and grief as he swung his hammer arm. Stain ducked and allowed for the momentum of the fool's swing to twist him around before grabbing the thug's neck. Forcing him to a stop. Quickly grasping both sides of the man's head - and ignoring his protests - the Hero Killer twisted it to one side then to the other in quick succession. A crack echoed throughout the alley as Stain released the man's head and allowed his body to drop to the ground.

Stain moved to the impaled thugs, removing his sword from the sobbing man and slashing his throat, choking him on his blood, before removing his knives from the deflated one, leaving the thugs dead in the alley.

Turning, the Hero Killer prepared to jump and return to the rooftops, but stopped when he felt a tug on his scarf. Turning, the Hero Killer saw the young man he had saved, covered in the blood of his attacker, holding his knife.

"What is it boy? My time is precious and I seek not to waste it."

"Why?"

Stain's eyebrow cocked at the one word question. "You must be more specific. If the question is 'why did you help me', then the answer is simple. I despise thugs like them, looking to pray on the innocent and the helpless. These weak piles of trash are nothing but a blight upon the world. They have no place as villains with ideals, those with visions, those with resolve and purpose. So I purged them. It was pure luck that you were saved by me, boy-"

"Why do you do the things you do? What is your goal?"

Stain looked the boy fully in the eyes, having learned long ago that one can determine the measure of a man by the look in his eyes when he is most vulnerable - a definition this boy certainly fit.

"My goal, young man, is to purge this world of those unworthy of the title 'hero'. You see, there are those in this rotten world that use the title of 'hero' to further themselves in some selfish way. Profit, personal glory, the satisfaction of battle, the attention - these are not the ways of the true hero. The true hero seeks none of these, for he is simply there. The true hero intervenes in any situation and always acts as a light in the dark. They do not act like Endeavour or Best Jeanist or Mirko. The true hero is one who acts like All-Might."

"All-Might is the pinnacle of heroism. It is his light that has guided humanity for the past two decades, his strength of character and morals that have rescued hundreds of people from death, and his physical might that has brought many a villain to their knees. It is him that other heroes should aspire to, yet they do not. They are petty and jealous. My actions in purging those from the system - in destroying them - forces others to gaze upon their sins and reflect. If I find them worthy, then they live, only to tell others of my word. If they die, then they are culled because their fakeness is too strong for their morals to overcome."

"Yet I do not tolerate scum like these men." Stain continued, gesturing to the bloody chunks. "The common scum of the streets - drug dealers, rapists, and the such - are even more of a cancer then the fake heroes. They necessitate the need for society to rely on these fakes. Without them, heroes would be able to focus more on fighting villains with ideals, with vision, with resolve. Those villains are the ones that should be fought by true heroes. The ultimate battle of pure good vs pure evil with the soul of society on the line." Stain's mouth twisted into a vicious smile as he lost himself in his rant. "That is what heroes should exist for. All-Might is a god amongst men - both in powers and in morals - and his actions and beliefs must inspire more. More like him, as the Symbol of Peace cannot fight ultimate evil on his own."

"Yet this society is resisting. It allows for scum like these thugs to exist, necessitating the need of fake heroes. If the scum of the underworld didn't exist, then the government would see no need in fake heroes. Then, guided by the morals of All-Might, the fakes would be forced to leave, leaving only the pure and good heroes, those of worth."

"That boy is why I do this. I kill the scum of Earth, lessening their presence to help the true heroes and I destroy the fake heroes to create true heroes. Through this cycle of destruction and creation, a new world will be born! One where there are only true heroes, where my presence will no longer be necessary. In this world, everyone will live in peace and smile. Just like All-Might."

The alley was silent as Stain breathed deeply, looking back into the greenette's eyes. "Now boy it is time for my crusade to continue. Leave this place and never return."

As the Hero Killer leapt into the air, Midoriya remembered the knife in his hand. "Wait! You forgot your knife!"

"Keep it!" The Hero Killer responded from the rooftop. "Keep it for yourself, as a reminder of what happened here, as well as for protection! For the night is dark and full of terrors!"

Midoriya watched as the Hero Killer vanished out of eyesight, still gripping the knife and still covered in the now dried blood of his attacker.

"Fake heroes. The creation of a new society. And Stain...the way he fought. He fought quirkless. Even his movements showed none of the telltale signs of a body enhancement quirk." Midoriya muttered, his jumbled thoughts coming together.

'_He's right. There are heroes in this world that are fakes. That don't deserve to be heroes. They care nothing for actually helping people, only doing it as part of their job. And they deserve to lose that job.'_

'_But Stain was also wrong.'_ Midoriya thought as his hand clutched the knife. _'All-Might is no more a hero than the fakes. Someone like him, who lies to hundreds every day. Someone like him is no better than the other fakers in this world. And he deserves to fall as well.'_

Beginning to walk back to his apartment - and mindful of avoiding people due to the blood - Midoriya's thoughts began to coalesce.

'_I can't be a hero without a quirk. Fine. Then I won't. I'll be something better. I'll be the one passing judgement on those who are unworthy for the title hero. But I can be better. I can also do real hero work, with no need for profit. I can destroy both the heroes and villains just like Stain. All-Might might be the Symbol of Peace…_

_But I can be something better. The Symbol of True Justice and Retribution. The Avatar of the Truth. That is my destiny._

_That is my fate.'_

* * *

**Cut!**

**Holy shit. Three updates in 24 hours! It's amazing. That being said, I hope y'all enjoyed this. I hoped Stain's rant made sense. I changed his motives a tad from canon, though I don't believe that, logically, they are that big of a stretch. Again, I test you to find the references within the chapter - in dialogue, characters, fights, etc. - and comment on them. **

**Also, I am opening a vote. Originally, I planned on the pairing being Uraraka and Midoriya, but I am open to the idea of a contained harem with specific girls. I am not divulging their identities, but if, by the end of Arc 1, most people want a harem, then I'll add it. **

**Check out my other stories and give reviews, criticism (constructive), and such. Have a great day!**

**TheSaintsFollower, signing out. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Yeet Yeet my dudes and dudettes! Chapter 4 here. I'm getting really invested in this and some others that I'm working on, so some of the other stuff I write may be put on the backburner. Anyways, due to a pretty big 'No', I can see that people do not want harem. So Midoriya x Uraraka it is, which I love. Anyways, here we go!**

**PSA: As the Coronavirus hysteria ramps up and more and more cases are reported, I strongly urge everyone to take the precautions necessary to ensure your safety, the safety of your loved ones, and the safety of others. This is a pandemic, but as a species and as a society we can overcome this. Thanks for listening.**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Here Comes the Sun**

After arriving back at his apartment, Midoriya moved quickly into his room and grabbed a medium-sized backpack - bigger than his school one - and began to rapidly pack clothes, as well as all fourteen of his Hero Analysis notebooks, and finally a laptop that his mother had gotten him when he turned thirteen.

'_These will come in handy.'_ The boy thought. _'Now that I've chosen this path, I'll need these to take down those who stand in the way of true justice.'_

Taking a look around, Izuku's eyes landed on a photo of his mother and himself - taken a few years ago. Inko had her arms wrapped around her son's neck, with the boy looking up at her with love in his eyes. Reaching out and grabbing the frame, Izuku traced a hand over the picture, flashing back to all the times his mother was there for him throughout his childhood. Shaking his head, Izuku placed the picture down and resumed his packing.

Once he was sure he had enough - including all the money he had hoarded in his room over the years - Izuku grabbed one last thing: the knife that Stain had left him. Finding an old shirt of his, Izuku tore the sleeve off and wrapped it around the blade, before placing as much of it into his pocket as he could.

Grabbing the photo, Izuku walked out into the living room and wrote a relatively short - for him - note to his mother. Placing the picture on top of the note, Izuku Midoriya took one last look at the apartment which he had called his home, before walking out the front.

He didn't look back, even as tears streamed down his face.

* * *

**(One Week Later)**

Izuku looked around the rundown apartment building that he was sharing with Jin. After finding the Cloning Man, Izuku had convinced him to allow him to stay, while also getting into contact with Iguchi.

As if on command, the front door opened, and the two walked in, taking a seat across from Izuku. Iguchi's eyes held compassion and pity for Izuku, while Jin's body language seemed to say the same.

"Thanks for coming Iguchi." Izuku said, giving the lizard man a small smile, who waved him off.

"Izuku, why are you here?" Iguchi said, cutting straight to the point. Sighing, Izuku carefully pulled out the knife and held it up to them.

"I received this from Stain." Those four words were more than enough to capture the attention of the two men, whose eyes grew wide with awe.

"Stain…" Iguchi muttered with reverence, while Jin's mask creased in a matter similar to a smile.

"Awesome! Stain's the coolest! HOW THE HELL DID YOU RUN INTO STAIN IZUKU!"

"He saved my life from the thugs that attacked you guys. Don't worry," Izuku cut the two worried shouts off "I'm fine. But the point is...I believe in Stain's words."

Seeing the poleaxed look on Iguchi's face - and assuming that Jin was giving him a similar look - Izuku explained all that Stain had told him, as well as his own revelations. By the end of his speech, the two stared at Izuku in awe.

"You both have suffered at the hands of this rotten society and while Stain seeks to change it, his methods are brutal and are placed firmly in the camp of villainy. Furthermore, no one else knows why Stain is attacking heroes, thus driving the image that he is no more than another villain. While I agree with his words and beliefs, I disagree with the execution. For it is not the heroes themselves who are flawed, but the society which creates them. For every true hero out there, there are dozens of false ones."

"My goal...my destiny is to change this society. Not by being a Hero Killer like Stain, but by being someone else. I must be something else."

"But before I can become that, I need help." Izuku said, breaking the two men out of their trance. "I need your help. Both of you. The two of you are just like me. We have been abandoned by society, trampled on by others, and judged by a jury of hatred, all because we exist. Because we don't fit in with the crowd. Because we have problems that the system actively refuses to help. It is people like us that need to rise up. Again, not as villains, but as something stronger."

"What that is, well only time will tell. But before we go any further, I need to know...will you two help me? Will you help me in the creation of a new world, where everyone is equal, where there won't be false heroes, caused by a society that runs on poison!"

Izuku's voice rose steadily as he continued to speak, before he was standing and speaking with the passion and belief of a demagogue. It enraptured Jin and Iguchi, both of whom had fallen off the couch and onto their knees.

One look into their eyes, and Izuku knew he had their answers. Smiling, Izuku sat back down and crossed one leg over the other. It was rather comical, given how small he was.

"Good. Now, here is the first thing we need to do."

* * *

**(Montage - over the course of ten months)**

_We need to train our bodies. From what I saw of Stain, he didn't use a body enhancement Quirk, meaning the ridiculous speed and strength he showed was the result of training. _

Izuku moved around piles after piles of trash on Dagobah beach, moving them towards Jin's rundown pickup. Meanwhile, Jin and Iguchi are running down the beach while holding trash-stained dumbbells.

_We also need to train with weapons. Iguchi and I don't have offensive abilities, so we need to cover all grounds. And it wouldn't hurt to learn some hand-to-hand. _

Jin and Iguchi ran through a rapid seat of katas, Jin holding a set of escrima sticks, while Iguchi swung around a massive buster sword. Izuku watched from the side, standing next to a man smoking a cigarette and holding a case.

_We need to get used to navigating around the city. _

Izuku - having watched video after video - stood in front of Jin and Iguchi on top of a roof in the dead of night. Mentally preparing himself, Izuku began running towards the buildings edge and leapt towards the next rooftop. Landing then rolling, Izuku continued his run, followed by his new friends.

_We need money for a base of operations, as well as a supplier for various goods we'll need. _

Jin stood above a group of downed thugs, panting before removing what little cash they had on them. Iguchi walked out of a pawn shop counting a stack of money, having sold some still working piles of junk from Dagobah, before approaching the man who supplied their weapons and handing him the cash. Izuku sat in Jin's apartment on his laptop, with a cup of coffee in hand, smirking as he saw the dollars in Jin's account rise - all thanks to a few little hacks.

_I'll need to change my appearance. My mother will most likely go to the police and get a search started, and we can't have that. _

Izuku sat in front of the mirror in Jin's bathroom, staring at his new hair and eyes. Thanks to Giran, who dealt in everything from tech, to weapons, to information, to cosmetics, the trio had acquired black hair dye, as well as some colored contacts. Izuku's new hairstyle had the back section of hair - the majority of it - styled backwards and up, while the small amount in the front was angled down to frame his forehead. As for his eyes, he decided that red would be the best color - not the dark red of Bakugou's eyes, but a lighter shade.

_If everything goes as planned, we'll have a state of the art facility set up in the best of locations. _

Giran led the trio to the back of an apartment complex within the Musutafu downtown area, two blocks from the train-station. It was twenty-six stories tall, and hosted mainly office workers - or so the public thought. Upon reaching the back, the group gazed at a silver elevator. Gesturing for the group to follow, Giran entered and, once making sure everyone was in, removed a grey colored card, similar to a driver's license.

Pressing, in quick succession, the buttons for floors seven, eighteen, five, and twenty-five, Giren smirked as Jin and Iguchi gasped when a small panel opened itself. Sliding the card in, Giren let go as the scanner within the card reader ID the card's user and lit up green. Taking the card back, Giren handed it to Izuku, who pocketed it as the elevator began it's travel down.

Upon reaching their destination, the doors opened, revealing a corridor. One each side of the room where doors - ten in total - with a large double door bearing itself on the far side of the corridor.

"The number of personal quarters, as requested. Each one has a double bed, closet, bathroom with toilet and shower, the works. The last door on the right," Giran pointed "is the communal kitchen area, while the last door on the left is a training room. It's essentially one of those personal dojo rooms from martial arts flics."

"And the big room?" Jin whispered, for once his split personality was quiet.

"Oh, that's gonna be a crowd pleaser." Giran smirked. "Let me show you."

Giran led the trio to the double doors, swinging them open and gesturing for the others to come in. Upon doing so, the group's eyes widened - Iguchi and Jin's with shock while Izuku's burst with glee.

"The walls are coated in lead and titanium, making it damn near impenetrable. There's this," Giran said, gesturing to a large round table "lovely little piece you requested. A total of eight seats. And finally there's this!"

Giran pointed to a large set of rectangles, before walking over and pressing a button. The screens lit up - 7 in total - while a keyboard slid out, and a chair was pulled out and slid into place.

"This baby is a work of fucking art. The guys you commissioned to make this are actually taking the design you gave me and having a similar one built for them kid."

Izuku smirked at that. "Then I guess I'll have to make modifications to this one. Thank you for your services, Giran." The now brunet said, shaking the man's hand.

"No problem kid. But I gotta know something. For the past ten months you've come to me for multiple things and have paid quite handsomely. But you've never given me a name only aliases - Split, Lizard, and Prince. Any chance I could get your real names?"

Izuku wagged a finger playfully. "Sorry Giran, but that's not part of the deal."

Laughing, Giran waved it off before placing an envelope on the round table. "Whatever kid, it's your business. Just try not to get caught too early. This shit was expensive." With that, the arms dealer walked out of the room, leaving the trio alone.

Turning back to his friends, Izuku smiled, receiving similar ones in kind. "Iguchi, Jin, welcome….

To the start of the new world."

**Cut!**

**Ok, for those of you who didn't follow, the montage takes the place of Izuku's normal training montage he had with All-Might, only this time it's training in hand-to-hand combat, weapons training, and parkour, as well as acquiring money for his new base, and cosmetics to change his appearance. **

**If people are confused/don't like the idea of an underground base...too bad. I'm going for a more AWESOME approach to things like this. Besides, it's all a part of the plan. **

**Finally, as I said above, a lot of my attention will be on this fic, Rokushiki, and Son of Babylon. Mostly because the ideas for that come easily. So expect more updates for those, than for other fics.**

**Midoriya's Gang (Name Pending)**

**Real Name: Izuku Midoriya**

**Also Known As: [classified], [classified], Prince**

**Quirk: None**

**Skills: Expert in computer science, coding, etc. Decent parkourist and hand-to-hand. Expert level analysis. Skilled weapons combatant.**

**Fighting Style (unarmed): [classified]**

**Weapon Style: [classified]**

**Real Name: Iguchi Shuichi**

**Also Known As: [classified], [classified], Lizard**

**Quirk: Gecko**

**Skills: Skilled hand to hand combatant. Skilled weapons combatant.**

**Fighting Style (Unarmed): [classified]**

**Weapon Style: Buster Sword**

**Real Name: Jin Bubaigawara**

**Also Known As: [classified], [classified], Split**

**Quirk: Double**

**Skills: Skilled hand to hand combatant. Skilled weapons combatant. Split Personality resulting in random actions during combat, as well as random sayings. **

**Fighting Style (unarmed): [classified]**

**Weapon Style: Escrima Sticks**

**Those are profiles for Midoriya's gang, as it stands. More will be filled in as time progresses. Remember to stay safe everyone. **

**TheSaintsFollower, signing out. **


	5. Chapter Gaiden

**This is the first Gaiden chapter - or half chapter - for Chessmaster. Timeline wise, this happens before chapter 5, in the middle of chapter 4. Hope y'all enjoy. **

**Fair Warning: Bakugou bashing. Don't like it, don't read.**

* * *

**Chapter 4.5: Explosive Confrontation**

**(Time: Day after Izuku ran away)**

**(Location: Bakugou residence)**

Katsuki Bakugou walked up the stone path to his front door, all the while grumbling under his breath. He was annoyed that Deku hadn't been at school again!

"Fucking little bastard really thinks he can avoid this for as long as possible." Katsuki snarled at the thought. "But I'll find his dumb little ass and crush it."

Opening the door, Katsuki's ears picked up two voices coming from his living room. One he could tell was his mother's voice - she had yelled at him enough to be able to pick it out of any crowd - but the other voice...it sounded familiar.

"Please calm down In-"

"How can I Mitsuki! How the hell can I calm down when...when all of this is being thrown in my face! Read it again, and maybe you'll understand! No, wait, you couldn't possibly understand because you have no idea what life has been like for us in the past ten years!"

"Inko, please, I want to help!"

'_Aunty Inko's here?'_ Bakugou thought, confused. The women he had looked up to as a second, more gentle mother hadn't been around for some time. She had always been busy, supporting herself and Deku. _'Wonder what this is about?'_

"Oi, I'm home hag!" Katsuki said as he walked into the room. "Aunty Inko are you-"

The question was torn from the boy's throat as he made contact with his pseudo-aunt. Inko Midoriya's eyes, which usually held such warmth, love, and acceptance, held nothing by anger and sadness, all of which was directed at him.

'_The hell did I do to her?'_ Katsuki thought, trying to think back to anything he had done to the women that would have affected her._ 'Damn it, I can't think of a single thing?'_

Mitsuki, placing a hand on her friends' shoulder, looked at her son, her eye's betraying nothing. "Katsuki, please tell me that Izuku was at school today?"

'_Oh, it's about Deku.'_ Katsuki thought with disdain. Outloud, the explosive boy answered, careful not to let his true feelings for the nerd bleed through. "No he wasn't. And all of us were really concerned about Izu-"

"Don't you mean 'Deku'?" Inko spoke, interrupting Katsuki's lie, who stopped and looked at the women, his eyes widening a fraction, his hands slowly clenching. "That's what you and everyone else at that damn school call him right? You call my precious son worthless!"

"You got it all wrong Aunty-"

"NEVER CALL ME THAT AGAIN!" Inko Midoriya exploded, leaping to her feet as small objects - picture frames, the tea cups, pillows - began floating around her, a sign that her Quirk had activated in response to her anger. "YOU...HOW DARE YOU KATSUKI! YOU TORTURED MY SON - YOUR FRIEND - FOR YEARS! AND FOR WHAT! TELL ME! **TELL ME!**"

Katsuki backed up, slightly fearful of the kind woman's raging temper, yet unwilling to give her an inch. Falling back upon the reasoning that the extras at his school used - including the teachers - he shouted back. "I...you wouldn't understand. But it doesn't matter! I get that he's your son, but he's a quirkless nerd, one who won't amount to anything! So what if I put the little bastard in his place every now and then, everyone else did! What's so wrong about that?"

Katsuki saw his mother's eyes water as he spoke, the woman placing her eyes on her face. Mrs. Midoriya, on the other hand, seemed to get madder, using her Quirk to fling something at him. Raising his hand - and preparing to let off a small explosion to deflect the projectile - Katsuki frowned as a piece of paper collided with his face.

Removing it, his frown increased into a full blown scowl as he recognized Deku's handwriting. Looking back at the angry mother, Katsuki bunched the paper up and opened his mouth, ready to let off again about Deku.

"NO! NO MORE! READ THE DAMN THING YOU LITTLE MONSTER! THEN LOOK ME IN THE EYES AND SAY THAT YOU DON'T FEEL...ANYTHING ABOUT THIS!"

Still scowling, Katsuki looked back down at the paper, noting the tear stains and the shaky handwriting.

_Dear Mom,_

_By the time you read this, I'll be long gone. I'm sorry about this, about all of this. I know that you have been forced to do so much for me - especially because of my Quirklessness - and I can't allow that to continue. Without me around, you won't need to spend anymore for things that I need, and you can sell my hero merchandise - some of it is worth a lot. That should help. _

_Before you continue, I need you to know that you did nothing wrong. You did everything you could for me and I love you for it. I don't say that enough, but...thank you for everything. Part of me would love to live the rest of my life with you, knowing that, at the very least, you would always be there for me. _

_But...I can't take it anymore. I can't take the constant beatings, the put-downs, the way the world seems determined to kick me and push me around. I can't stand the fact that, despite me being top in my class, I'm told that I'll never have a future. How I'll never amount to nothing. How no one will want 'a quirkless freak' to work for them. _

_Most of all, I'm sick of Katsuki. I never told you about it, but he's the ringleader of all the bullies I have to deal with. All those times I came home with bruises and burn marks, all the times I had to repair my uniform and all those times I had to replace my notebooks - all of that was Katsuki's doing. And I...I can't take it anymore. _

_So I'm leaving. Hopefully somewhere I can find a place where I can fit in, where I won't be a Deku anymore. And if I do, I'll come back and see you again. But if I can't, if I never see you again, I need you to know that I love you Mom! I love you so much! And please, please keep moving forward. You are one of the strongest people I know, and I need you to keep moving forward. If not for yourself, then do it for me. I love you Mom._

_Your Son,_

_Izuku._

'_What the fuck?' _Katsuki thought as he re-read the note. _'No way! No fucking way! Deku wouldn't do that...not to her!' _Anger began to fill his mind, so much so that his fist crumpled, small sparks beginning to burn the paper.

"That little fucker! Who the fuck does he think he is, leaving you like that?!" Katsuki exploded, looking at his mom, who was still shaking and crying.

**SMACK!**

Katsuki's head whipped to the side as Inko Midoriya's hand lashed out and collided with his face in the bitchslap of the century.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH HIM! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU!" Inko yelled, tears streaking down her face as Katsuki placed a hand at the rapidly darkening area of his face, his eyes wide. "AFTER READING ALL OF THAT, ALL YOU CAN SAY IS WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY SON! THE BOY WHO NEVER DID ANYTHING TO HURT ANYONE!" Taking several deep breaths, Inko calmed down, though still glared at the explosive boy, who felt...way too small at the moment.

"I...I can't allow this to continue anymore. Give me the note Katsuki. Mitsuki, I hope you have a good lawyer, because I plan on sueing that damn school, every blasted student, and your fucking villain of a son!" Inko said, the calm and collected manner betraying her use of language, an action that shocked both Bakugous.

Katsuki's shock was brief, as all of Inko's words set in, and caused the blonde to blow his top. "I'M THE VILLAIN! YOUR LITTLE BASTARD WAS CONSTANTLY GETTING IN MY WAY! ALWAYS LOOKING DOWN AT ME, ALL THE WHILE BEING A QUIRKLESS, USELESS LITTLE SHIT! FUCK HIM AND FUCK YOUR LAWSUIT!"

With those final words, Katsuki let loose a final explosion that incinerated Deku's note, before storming past his former maternal figure and his own mother, stomping up the stairs, stopping only to look over his shoulder. _'She said not to think of her as family anymore. Fine. Time to tell her about what really matters.'_

"Even if I hadn't done that you can't be that stupid. Your case would never have won. Look at the facts: your Quirkless brat ran away cause he couldn't handle the fact that he was worthless. Even if you got a mountain of evidence...nobody cares. Because nobody cares about the worthless dregs of this world. The only thing that matters is power! I've got it in spades and Deku fucking didn't! So guess what, not only do I not feel bad about this, but no one else will. So you can sit there and cry and have a little pity party. I don't care. I'm going to be the next No. 1 Hero, and Deku, no matter what, will still be nothing more than a pebble on my path to the top.

That is, if he's still alive."

With his final words said, Katsuki stomped into his room and slammed the door, all the while smirking.

'_Good riddance to trash.'_

* * *

**Cut! And that's that. **

**Please note that while the current canon Bakugou would never say these words, the one who told someone to kill themselves would. And that's where I'm getting the personality and attitude for this Bakugou - at least for now. No character development, no nothing - just pure asshole. **

**Well, thanks for reading and stay safe. **

**TheSaintsFollower, signing off. **


	6. Chapter 5

**Welcome back to another chapter of Chessmaster. Before I begin, here are some responses to comments that I especially enjoy:**

**MosesArk Reborn2000: Thank you for your support. As for your final comment...I've always been more partial to villains like David Xanatos over Lex Luthor. **

**Shin: For most of your comments, my response is to wait and see. As for the Apotheosis, you are correct. This version of Quirkless Midoriya is not going to be as...omnipotent as Apotheosis is, at least on an intellectual level. He's good at technology and planning, but he's not say...Nedzu or All for One. Better than Shigaraki or Overhaul, but not quite top tier. **

**Fox Boss: Sorry bro. Maybe for other characters who become a part of Midoriya's group, but for the core three, they have their weapons set. And I love them. **

**ProjectIceMan: Agreed, and that's one of my biggest issues with the world Horikoshi has created. Do I love MHA faults and all? Yes. But by leading with Midoriya being bullied - quite harshly - for one reason only implies that there is a very clear case of societal division. And for all intents and purposes, Horikoshi never really looks back on that. Which is disappointing. This is also apparent with characters like Toga and Shinshou, except again, not too much depth is explored. **

**With that out of the way, let us begin.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Potential**

Izuku Midorya sat in the designated chair in front of his supercomputer, typing away at the keyboard. He had been working since Giran left, trying to break into two of the most secured networks in Japan. He had already accessed one and was saving that for when Jin and Iguichi returned from their shopping trip.

Hey, even revolutionaries need to eat!

Pushing all thoughts of that aside, Izuku smiled as he broke through the last firewall to the creme de la crop, the thing he had been after for several hours: the UA School Severs. This had data on all current students and staff, as well as those looking to take the entrance exams for the upcoming school year. It also contained ways in which he could access the school's cameras and even other electronics which the school employed - their security gates for instance.

"Hmm, let's see." Izuku muttered, sipping a cup of coffee - which he was pretty sure he was becoming addicted to - as he scrolled through the list of prospective hero students. The entrance exam was today, in about an hour, and he needed to look for those whose Quirks were less than flashy, people who, while having talent, were shoved to the side for those who had flashy Quirks.

Izuku made notes on another screen as he looked at individuals with potential - a boy with a mind control Quirk, another with a quirk which allowed him to use sticky balls from his head, one with the ability to copy other Quirks, all very interesting.

'_Well, I have the names now. I'll just tap into the feed and look at the practical. Don't really need to focus on the written exam.' _Izuku thought, changing the screen to a feed of students walking into UA. One boy in particular stood out to Izuku.

"Of course they let him take this. He'll probably pass this no problem." Izuku snarled to himself, seeing one Bakugou Katsuki strut through the gate as though he owned the place. Switching frames, Izuku began to look for the objectives of the practical.

"The records say that Hero course potentials have to fight some sort of enemy...aha! Robots," Izuku smirked "how quaint." Flexing his fingers, Izuku began to type rapidly, finding a way into the mainframes for the robots. "What moron has all of their robots connected to the same mainframe? The arrogance is astounding."

Tapping the keyboard a few times, Izuku laughed, having implemented a digital backdoor pass into the robot's controlling code, allowing him to rest control from UA at any given time. Checking back in, Izuku noticed that the written exam had finished and the hero incharge - _'Present Mic! That's cool!'_ \- explained the practical for the students. Frowning at the notion that the potentials would be separated - that just made his job harder - Izuku began to narrow down the areas to watch.

'The boy with the mental Quirk is in the same group as the boy with the balls. And the one with the copy Quirk is in the same one as Bakugou. Ugggh. Ah well, beggars can't be choosers.'

A hiss echoed through the room as the doors opened, revealing Jin and Iguichi, both drinking from coffee cups. "Yo Izuku, watcha looking at?" Iguichi asked walking to stand by Izuku's left, while Jin stood by his right.

"The UA entrance exam. I'll be pulling up three different areas, and I need you two to keep an eye on the third. I've got potential recruits in two others and I need to study them more." Izuku asked, pulling up the three areas. The older men nodded, paying close attention to the group Izuku specified.

The group watched the exams with interest, noting how the boy with the copy Quirk quickly got the hang of other's Quirks, while also forming strategies to use in battle with other students. _'Hmm, another strategist. The possibilities are endless.'_

The boy with the mind control Quirk was having a more difficult time, as he wasn't using his Quirk, and was trying to take on weaker robots._ 'Not bad.'_ Izuku noted. _'But he clearly hasn't been working his body as much as his Quirk. Disappointing, but nothing we can't fix.'_

The last boy, the one with the balls, was actually turning out to be a disappointment. While the technique he employed with his Quirk showed off his ingenuity and adaptability, Izuku had found that the boy got easily distracted by the female students, and had a lecherous look in his eyes every time he saw one.

"Looks like we might have a second Captain Celebrity." Izuku remarked drawing growls from his companions. Even amongst those within the underground, Captain Celebrity was not much respected - at least among the respected members of the underground. They could, at least, respect most of the heroes for their drive and the fact that, for the most part, left the underground with minor injuries, but a predator like Celebrity was hated amongst the high ranking members.

Sighing, Izuku placed his hands behind his head. "Well that looks like the end of the exams. I've found some potentials, but we'll have our work cut out for us. What about you two?"

"Some interesting Quirks, but I can't really see any of these kids joining us." Iguichi said.

"Agreed, we should look at some of the other schools as we- HOLY SHIT THAT'S A BIG ROBOT!" Jin shouted as the so-called 'Zero Pointer' was unleashed upon the prospective hero students.

"Damn…" Iguichi said, staring at the robot while Izuku brought his hands back to the keyboard and began typing furiously. "Izuku what are you doing?"

"That robot's on a collision course with that girl!" Izuku pointed out, drawing attention to a girl around his age with a bob cut and a permanent pink blush. "And...done!"

Pressing one final button, Izuku and co. watched as the robot seemed to shudder, before its top part began to spin violently. Sparks began flying from the robot, before the spinning stopped and the robot fell back, away from the mass of students and from the trapped girl.

Sighing, Izuku quickly began typing, leaving UA's system, while also placing a few...surprises for the hero school. _'Can't wait to see what happens with those.'_ Izuku thought with a smirk.

"Why did you do that Izuku?" Iguichi asked, looking at his young leader out of the corner of his eye.

"I think it was very heroic. BUT ALSO KINDA STUPID!" Jin said, his personalities acting up again.

"I...I saw someone in need of help. I understand it was stupid and illogical, but-"

"But that's your hero's heart." Iguichi said with a small smile. "I think we understand. But please be careful. If UA were to be able to track us here-"

"They can't." Izuku replied, gesturing to his screens. "I've been running the signal through several hotspots nearby, switching to each one every couple of minutes. Even if someone was able to decipher that, our base is underground, undetectable from the surface. And, you'd have to have one of our access cards to even gain access to the facility. Nobody is going to be finding us for a long time."

"Alright Izuku. By the way, we got a call from Detnerat. They've finished the weapons we requested, and are looking for 'Prince' to come and get them." Iguichi said.

Smiling, Izuku nodded, before pulling up one final screen. "I'll go after this. For now, I need the two of you to memorize every piece of information on these files."

The two nodded, before they spluttered at the information presented. "Izuku...how the hell did you get this?!"

"Their cyber security was not as tricky as UA's, despite being more up-to-date. Regardless, we now have the names, addresses, Quirks, family information, records of previous injuries, and other such information…

On the Top Ten Heroes in Japan."

* * *

**CUT! Short yes, but the next, let's say three chapters will be where the meat of the story picks up. Thank you all for sticking by for this, and until next time, peace. **

**TheSaintsFollower, signing off. **


End file.
